国际英语新闻：Greek jobless rate reached record high 13.5 percent in October

ATHENS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua)-- The Greek jobless rate reached 13.5 percent in October, the highest since Greece started monthly estimations of unemployment figures in 2004, the National Statistical Authority reported Thursday.

As Greece has been hit hard by an acute debt crisis and the government implements a painful austerity program over the past year in order to face the challenge, the number of unemployed has been on the rise.

In September 2010 the rate stood at 12.6 percent. In October 2009, before the debt crisis broke out, the jobless rate was 9.8 percent, so unemployment jumped by 39 percent in a year- on- year basis.

According to the latest data, at least 684,047 people were jobless across the country in October 2010. Employed stood at approximately 4.3 million persons at the same time.

The most affected according to local analysts are youth and women. One in three Greeks aged 18- 24 is unemployed (34.6 percent in October 2010 compared to 27.5 percent in October 2009). The jobless rate stood at 18.3 percent last October from 12.6 percent in October 2009 for people aged 25-34 years.

About 17.6 percent of women were unemployed in October 2010 compared to 10.6 percent of men.

As the worst recession in Greece in four decades deepens, officials and experts forecast that the figures will continue to rise in 2011. According to the Greek state budget, the jobless rate in 2011 will reach 14.6 percent, one of the top five highest across the eurozone.